This is her latest release:
In honor of the release of her latest poetry book, Winter’s Fierce Breath, she’s allowed me to interview her here on the blog… now, I thought of all sorts of ways to introduce Ms. Darling – reams of words about how cool she is… but really, in this case, I think I’ll let her writing speak for itself. Here’s one of my favorites from her latest release:
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO
Love is shaded
Threads of lies
Loose at the seams
The ins and outs of consciousness
The toast to new beginnings failed
When the kiss of death touched my lips
I don’t want to be wrong about you
I won’t allow myself
To be so wrong
The marching band screams in my ears
Your symbol clangs a melody out of tune
On my heel
Here they come
Throwing their warnings in my face
I can listen or I can ignore them
All I know is that I’m torn
A web you’ve got me slow-dancing in
The bareness of complication
Wants a little freedom
Keep collecting your numbers
You’ve run out of vindications
Where do you find all the energy?
To take a stab at falling asleep for the night
When you’re right back up doing it again
Melted alarm clocks
Fluorescent signs
Reflect the sadness that you’re hiding
In the dark puddles below the street lights
Why can’t I cut you loose?
What am I so scared of?
WHY AM I AFRAID?
To just slam the door and walk away
You will never be good for me
You’ll always be the ache in my affection
Running away with little fragments of me
Why do you have to be so cruel?
Why do you have to have?
The wit and the appeal
That keeps me feeling alive
When I’m a little nervous to even breathe.
Me: Who are your favorite poetic influences?
Dina Darling: I love to dive into the worlds of Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Amy Lowell, Veronica Franco and Sylvia Plath.
Me: Your poetry is (beautiful, meltingly beautiful) but also very personal and often erotic... do you ever have issues censoring yourself or worry about what people will think when they read it?
Dina Darling: I have to admit I felt quite embarrassed knowing my Mom had read my first book. She was the only one I worried about as if I would shock her or something, but hey she's been there too. There are so many aspects of myself that I share in my words. Poetry is my escape. I refuse to be censored. It is what it is. I become a raging sea of explored emotions when I write. The wall comes down. I will swallow you whole. I truly am an open book with absolutely nothing to hide. Sometimes I believe that people have this goody two shoe, wholesome innocent projection of me and nothing else. That's only a mere speck of who I am. Read my books and you'll see the very heart and soul of me. I always stand by something my Grandmother used to tell me. "Half of the world will love you, half of the world will hate you." You can't please everyone.
Me: This is your second poetry book. What was your main goal in Winter's Fierce Breath, and in what ways did that goal differ from your first release?
Dina Darling: Winter's Fierce Breath is a continuation for me. It's the next chapter after The Safety of Madness. It's a constant struggle of self discovery. For me, both books are an autobiography. Every poem is truth. I write with steel backbone because I'm not afraid to put myself out there. I don't cower from the experiences I've had in the obstacle of love, whether good or bad. I am a pillar of passion longing to stop the search and find my happy ending. I am a hopeless romantic fool on display for all to see. The goals are actually similar in both books. A lesson to myself that no matter how many times love knocks the wind out of me, I have to get right back up and surrender myself completely once again. Because there is always light after dark. Love shall succeed.
Me: Do you have a favorite place to write or work on your poetry or any special routine to your writing?
Dina Darling: I find inspiration creeps up on me in the middle of the night. Once the chaos of the day breaks and my head hits the pillow, all these words start calling out to me. I always keep a pen and notebook handy on my nightstand. Though I write whenever the inspiration hits. There isn't really a routine. It could be anywhere. I just make sure I grab something to write on, newspaper, napkin, etc...depending on my location.
Me: Do you specialize only in poetry, or do you write in other genres?
Dina Darling: Funny thing is I never saw myself as a writer. It was the encouragement of my high school English teacher Ms. Clarry. She saw potential through my writing assignments. She told me to take a stab at entering the short story/poetry contest. I ended up winning second place prose. I then began to explore the world of short stories later realizing that poetry was more my forte. It is a million times more rewarding to express myself lyrically than in any other form of writing.
Dina will be sticking around to talk in comments. Feel free to ask her questions and tell her how gorgeous she is. And please consider picking up one of her poetry books, Winter’s Fierce Breath or her earlier release, The Safety of Madness.
